From 13 January 2026, we will no longer accept new case enquiries by email. Please use our online complaint form to bring a complaint to us. This helps us respond to you more quickly.

Need help? Other ways to contact us.

London & Quadrant Housing Trust (202453386)

Back to Top

 

REPORT

COMPLAINT 202453386

London & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q)

2 September 2025

 

Our approach

The Housing Ombudsman’s approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any ‘maladministration’, for example whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner.

Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman and this has been carefully considered. Their accounts of what has happened are summarised below. This report is not an exhaustive description of all the events that have occurred in relation to this case, but an outline of the key issues as a background to the investigation’s findings.

The complaint

  1. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of repairs to the boiler.

Background

  1. The resident is an assured tenant of the property, a 1-bedroom ground floor flat. The landlord has informed us it is aware the resident has vulnerabilities.
  2. On 26 November 2024 the resident informed the landlord he had no heating or hot water. The landlord attended the property the next day and identified new parts were needed. A further appointment to fit the parts was made for 11 December 2024.
  3. The resident complained to the landlord on 15 January 2025. He said the boiler kept breaking down, despite the previous repairs.
  4. The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response on 23 January 2025. It said a further repair to the boiler would be completed on 27 January 2025.
  5. On 21 February 2025 the resident escalated his complaint. The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response on 24 March 2025. It apologised for the delays to the repair and offered the resident £100 compensation.
  6. The resident remained dissatisfied and brought the complaint to us.

Assessment and findings

  1. Paragraph 53.c. of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme states that:
  2. “The Ombudsman may determine the investigation of a complaint immediately if satisfied that the member has made an offer of redress following the Ombudsman’s intervention which, in the Ombudsman’s opinion, resolves the complaint satisfactorily.”

The Ombudsman’s intervention

  1. We contacted the landlord on 28 August 2025 and provided it with a summary of our understanding of the events. This included some comments on areas that could have been handled better and what the landlord could do to resolve the resident’s complaint.
  2. The landlord offered to pay the resident a further £200 compensation for its handling of boiler repairs. The resident informed us that he was satisfied with this as a resolution to his complaint.
  3. We are therefore satisfied that, following our intervention, that the landlord has agreed to take actions to remedy the matters raised which resolve the complaint satisfactorily.

Determination

  1. In accordance with paragraph 53.c of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, the complaint was resolved with intervention.

Orders and recommendations

  1. The landlord should now make the £200 compensation payment to the resident. The complaint has been resolved with intervention on this basis.